By: Jennifer Nerkie Kenney
More than 5.3 million malaria cases were recorded in Ghana in 2025, highlighting the continued burden of the disease despite years of intervention efforts.
Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Hilarius Abiwu, disclosed this during a discussion on the GTV Breakfast Show on Monday, April 13, 2026.
“Just last year, over 5.3 million people were diagnosed with malaria,” he said.
Dr. Abiwu explained that the high number of cases continues to put pressure on the country’s healthcare system and economy.
He estimated that billions of cedis are spent annually on malaria treatment, describing it as a major financial burden that could be avoided if the disease is eliminated.
“Malaria is a major drain on the economy. If we eliminate it, we could save billions of cedis every year,” he said.
He noted that malaria remains one of the leading causes of hospital visits, especially among children and pregnant women who are most at risk.
He added that interventions by the programme focus on both treating infected persons quickly and preventing new infections.
“We focus on the human being and the mosquito because the parasite depends on both to survive,” he said.
Dr. Abiwu outlined key strategies including the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets and indoor residual spraying to control mosquito populations.
He said these measures are designed to prevent mosquito bites and kill mosquitoes that carry the parasite.
“Mosquitoes mostly bite at night, so sleeping in treated nets helps prevent infection,” he said.
He further revealed that Ghana has introduced malaria vaccines for children to reduce severe illness and deaths.
He added that seasonal malaria chemoprevention is being carried out in high-risk regions, especially during the rainy season.
“We give children preventive treatment during peak seasons so they don’t fall sick,” he said.
Despite the high number of cases, Dr. Abiwu said Ghana has made significant progress in reducing malaria deaths over the years.
He noted that deaths have dropped from over 2,000 annually around 2015 to about 52 in 2025.
“We have reduced deaths by about 97 percent, but even one death is too many,” he said.
He, however, raised concerns about challenges such as resistance to insecticides and malaria drugs, as well as the inconsistent use of preventive tools like mosquito nets.
He stressed the need for continuous investment, research and public cooperation to eliminate malaria by 2030.
“The mosquito and the parasite are constantly changing, so we must keep improving our methods,” he said.
